Protect Him
by SugarButter
Summary: No matter what might happen next, to whom it may occur, Gabriel knew one thing: it was well deserved. Warnings inside. Oneshot.


**I've been working long and hard to bring a story that I can be extremely proud of, and it turned into this hot mess. XD I'm really quite proud and love how this turned out, and I hope you all enjoy!**

_**Warnings: death, minimal gore, swearing.**_

* * *

"_**Protect Him..."**_

Gabriel hated the small child that he held in his arms.

His chest was swollen with disgust at the red-faced infant, who cried and flailed his tiny fists in the air. One of which had a small hospital tag, the same hospital tag that his mother had worn. His eyes were tightly shut and the crying was ringing out as he sat in the hospital room with the child, his sister sitting in the same chair, pressed against the young boy.

Scott was there. He was a newer, timid employee of his father, and he sat silently in the room with the children. Nobody knew what to say: nothing could bring back his mother.

He looked down at the face of the boy, his younger brother that he despised so much for taking his mother away. This tiny, ugly child wasn't worth the life of his mother, with her voice soft and her heart large. No, he hated this child because he seemed to think that it was okay to take his mother away from him.

Elizabeth could feel the tension in the air, but she had no idea what was happening. She kept herself glued to her brother's side as she peered around, unsure why the hospital bed in the room was empty and as to why the two nurses in the room stayed with them instead of following the rest of her family.

"Honey, we need to take him now, okay?" He didn't even look up from his glare at the child. No matter the anger he felt, he remembered his mother's last words to him: _protect him._ This child was his last shred to his mother. "Gabe, I'm sorry. We need to take him from you now. We'll bring him back after he's eaten."

He slowly looked up before standing and gently placing the child into the nurse's arms. The two nurses took him from the room then, and he sat back down to hold his younger sister in his arms. "Gabe?" She smiled at him: his younger sister had the way of making his heart melt just a little, and putting a glimmer of hope in his heart for only a moment. She could be a brat at the best times, but she was merely a toddler going through a stage.

She would have to get used to her father not doting on her, just as he had to when she came along. He'd felt a hatred towards her, but nothing like this. She may have taken his father's attention, but she never took away his mother's life.

He held her close, allowing her to nod off. Of course, seeing as it was the middle of the night, she would be tired. They'd been in the hospital since early this morning, but Gabriel wasn't hungry. He knew he wouldn't keep anything down.

He couldn't help but wonder if these were feelings that most five year olds were supposed to deal with. He finally decided against it, as most kids were lucky enough to keep their mothers around. Gabe had always wanted a little brother, but _never_ for the price of his mother.

He didn't know how long it had been, but Michael finally came back into the room and sat in the chair next to him. Scott merely raised his head as he entered, but Gabriel looked to him hopefully.

In response, his older brother put an arm around his shoulder.

He couldn't help but look to his sister on his lap, blinking to hold back tears. He wouldn't cry, not in front of Scott. He still had his dignity, even after he lost his mother.

"Oh, Gabe.." He buried his head in his brother's shoulder, not moving around to allow his sister's peace. "You've had to grow up so fast, and I hate that."

Scott tried to ignore the fact that this was an eight year old speaking to a child who wasn't even six yet.

Gabriel could hear the faint, steady heart monitor from the other room, keeping the rhythm as a life petered on. He could imagine the patient in their bed, sleeping away with the heavy flow of medicine being fed into their veins through the clear cord of the IV.

He could hear as the monitor's rhythm began to speed up. He heard the hustling out in the hall as it continued speeding up. His foot pounded against the leg of the chair faster, in time with the beat.

It continued to move faster, and there was yelling and crying.

Then everything went silent.

* * *

The young boy only stirred when the door began opening. He awoke groggy and confused, knowing something had happened but taking multiple moments to remember what had occurred, or why he was in the hospital.

He looked up to see his father coming into the room, for once without his carefree grin.

"Dad?" He asked groggily, pulling his arms out from underneath his sister to rub at his eyes. He blinked up at him, taking in his stance and attitude, but when the emotions came back again tears welled in his eyes and he fisted his eyes again for a different reason.

"Hey Gabriel... how are you holding up, bud?" He knelt down and gently wiped away his tears. As a father, William was at a loss. "Are we going home yet, Dad?" He questioned, and William looked sadly towards his young son.

"If you'd like to, Scott can drive you home... Daddy needs to finish up a few more things, and go check on Marion, okay?" "Marion?" He questioned softly. That was his mother's name. Was his mother alive?

"Yes... Marion, after your mother." Not the Connor they'd been planning on, or perhaps Carter. But Marion, the one name he wasn't expecting. "Isn't that a girl's name?" Gabe retorted, and William sighed. "Not particularly, bud. I'll be home soon, but how about you guys go home. You all have had a long, hard day." The sun was already beginning to filter in through the windows, enough to cast a gentle glow to the room. He sighed and nodded. "Go sleep in your own bed tonight."

He really didn't want to leave. As soon as he left this building, he knew it would all be real. As soon as he left this building, any remnant of his mother would be gone. As soon as he left this building, his life would forever be changed.

But he was tired, and he wanted this horrible day to end.

"I'll be home soon, okay? Scott will take care of you. Hey, Michael bud, let's get going." He looked over to his older brother, who groaned and blearily opened his eyes. "Scott's going to take you home, okay?" Michael blinked and abruptly stood up. "Let's go."

Scott stood up from his own chair and went to gently grab Elizabeth, who wrapped her arms around his neck but didn't wake up.

Gabriel stood up and latched to his dad, soon followed by his older brother. "I love you, Dad." Gabriel was silent as his dad repeated the words before bringing them back to reality. "I hope you boys can get back to sleep."

"Hey, Scott, here's my keys. It's easier to just use my car with the booster seats." The two exchanged keys and soon they were off down the road, the young boy looking out to the sunrise of oranges and pinks. Michael managed to doze off in the front seat, and next to him his sister was sleeping in her carseat, and to his right was the carseat for his brother.

"Scott!" The man swerved at the yell before looking back. "Gabriel, don't do that!" He scolded before seeing the seat. "Doesn't Dad need his seat?"  
"Shoot." Scott wasn't sure if he'd be home so quickly, but he decided to drive the seat back to him anyways, even with the reality that he likely wouldn't be coming home for a few more days.

But soon after the exchange, they were back on the road again. The hospital wasn't too far from the house, but with the silence it felt a lot longer. They pulled into the driveway, Scott quickly jumping to help unbuckle Elizabeth, who'd woken up when the car stopped and was now crying and grumpy.

"Are you guys hungry?" Gabriel shook his head. His stomach was empty, but with his stomach in his throat he really couldn't eat. Michael was too tired to eat, and headed straight to his room and closed his door. Elizabeth calmed at the mention of eating, so Scott went ahead to get something. "Gabe, you haven't eaten. Could you eat some cereal at least?" He shook his head. "Okay, how about cookies?"  
"Cookie?" Elizabeth interrupted, and Scott laughed. Gabe nodded softly, he would never turn down cookies. Cookies were something his mother loves- loved- and would want him to eat some, for her. "It's decided then. We have sugar and chocolate chip mix... I'll make them both."  
Within thirty minutes, the two kids were at the table with free reign of two dozen cookies, and Elizabeth happily ate the cookies away, once deciding to spit the chewed bite into Scott's hand. With every bite, he remembered his mom. It felt unreal, as though his mom would walk through the door at any moment and smile, wipe his tears away and hand him a cookie. But she was gone, he reminded himself bitterly.

Because of _him._

Tucked in his bed, his room felt empty and cold. The boy wasn't even tired anymore, just shivering and lonely. His bedroom door was left open, but he usually wasn't a kid who was scared of the dark. His brain was on hyperdrive, however, and he began seeing shapes..

He shook his head, that was silly. There weren't monsters. But he heard a slight creaking from down the hall and his eyes widened. Another looming shadow crept down the hall, and a floorboard creaked.

But then a familiar face appeared in the doorway, dragging a blanket behind her. He let out a breath of relief. "Up!" She wanted up on his bed. "Up!"

He gently lifted his sister. "Lizzie, you wanna go sleep in Daddy's bed?" He softly asked. "Daddy!" It was easier for him to now justify bringing his sister into the master bedroom, helping her up onto the bed and crawling under the covers, sinking into the large, soft bed.

He didn't know what it was, but the smell of his father always seemed to calm him down. He typically smelled like sawdust and smoke, but it was such a familiar scent that he found himself clinging to it. Of course, he knew the other pillow might smell of his mother, but with his sister blocking his way he settled with his father's smell.

Elizabeth curled to her brother, arms wrapped around his neck, and Gabe finally let his eyes close. He didn't fall asleep for a long while, mind continuously drifting to his mother, but gently hummed his sister to sleep.

* * *

As Gabe grew older, so did the child. Marion.

As Marion grew, Gabe's hate for this child grew as well.

He was put with the task of spooning baby food into his mouth, where he would happily accept the food. But as Gabe wiped his face from the saliva and baby food, he decided this child didn't like bananas and grapefruit.

Gabe couldn't blame him.

It certainly didn't help that the boy looked a lot like his mother. He had her soft brown eyes, and the facial build of his face was a near replica of his mother's. His eyes sparkled with excitement and innocence, and he hated the fact that he found it endearing.

But with his growth, his sister grew as well. She had begun to get on his nerves, always acting bratty and seeming to think that she was in charge. She would scream when she didn't get her way, and would leave his ears ringing afterwards.

But most of all, his Dad still pampered her unlike the way he treated the young boy. She was his favourite- had he always wanted a girl? His father would always leave with her alone to get ice cream, strawberry ice cream with only his daughter. He didn't understand.

But, as he took the spitting child out of the high chair and removed his bib- the baby clapped and stuck his tongue out as he was put down on the plush carpet and immediately began his wandering- he forgot about the bad as he nearly melted yet again. He hoisted himself up using the couch, waddling with a hand gripping the couch along.

However, this time he did not stop at the couch's end.

He continued to unsteadily trot, slowly towards Gabe in the kitchen. Gabriel turned and shrugged off the walking at first, before turning and rushing to grab the camera off of the table. He turned back to see Marion fall, and he swore under his breath.

"C'mon Marion." When he sat there and looked up with his large, shining eyes he quickly switched tactics, grabbing his arms and hoisting him to his feet. He slid back down onto the ground and laughed. He tried again to no avail, and he only stood for the third time.

Gabriel knelt and began taping. "C'mon Marion. Come to be, baby." He tried, but Marion just stood there, silently staring at the boy. "Shit!"

The boy looked over to him, grinned, then repeated the word. "F-" He was interrupted by a hand over his mouth. "Don't. Finish. That. Word. His mind is like a sponge; shit- you're still recording." Marion laughed, having fallen again to his bottom, grabbing his feet and rolling slightly. "Shit!" He laughed and clapped, proud of himself.

"Michael, we are in trouble." Gabe pointed out, stopping the recording and setting the camera back on the table. "What do you mean, 'we'? _I_ had nothing to do with this. It's all you, buddy." Michael patted his back and went to leave the kitchen in a teasing manner.

"Wait! Is there a way to delete the video?" Gabriel asked in desperation. He already got blamed enough for Elizabeth's mistakes, but he didn't want to be grounded for the accidental slip of the mouth. "Well... I mean, yes, but you would have to get the tape out from it..." He grabbed the camera. "...somewhere."

So when William pulled into the driveway and locked the car, he walked into the house seeing Marion throwing small bolts around- hopefully without his mouth full of them- as the two older boys pulled apart his camera.

"Crap! Uh, hi dad! We were just trying to.. Get the tape out! To show you something!" William wordlessly bent to his knees and pressed a button along the side, ejecting the tape. The two boys stared at it before the younger quickly grabbed it and tried to shove it in his mouth.

"Gabriel... what in God's name are ya doing?" William laughed at his son, arousing a loud laughter from the boy on the floor. William easily yanked the tape from the boy's mouth and teasingly smirked towards him. "Let's see what's on this dreaded tape."

What soon followed the beginning of the tape left William in tears of laughter, looking towards the young toddler in delight. He blinked with his wide brown eyes at his father before breaking out into another smile, turning onto his hands and knees to crawl towards the couch.

He shakily stood up and tightly grasped the pant legs of his father, who easily scooped the young child into his arms. "Gabriel, Michael, you go on and play outside. I need to teach this child some more profanity, some of which you might never have heard." The two stayed in their places, Gabriel with a mischievous grin and Michael wearing a more determined look. "Elizabeth's in the front yard, playing alone." Gabriel didn't care- he didn't much like his bratty little sister anyways. Though Michael stood to go out the front door, leaving Gabriel with his father and baby brother.

Lifting the child above his head, William caused more laughter to ring throughout the living room and Gabriel went to sit in Michael's spot. "...you aren't really going to teach him to cuss, are you Dad." William glanced to his older son only briefly before laughing and looking back towards his baby boy and brought him back down into his lap, where he gently cuddled against his heavy-set father. "Son, that would be a one way ticket to CPS, and I'd rather not have to take the venture down there." Gabe got a half-grin and looked sadly at the child.

"You miss her too, doncha kid." He freed up an arm and wrapped it around his son, pulling him closer. "I know it's hard, she was... amazing. But everyone's gotta go sometime, and she just left a little sooner. It was sudden, real sudden, but not entirely unexpected. Childbirth _is_ risky business... but she gave us this bundle of joy."

Gabriel contemplated on how to answer. "But don't you hate him? Don't you blame him for taking Mom away from us?" His father sighed and, holding the child to his chest, fully turned his body towards the older boy. "I'll be honest, at the beginning.. I did blame him. But I never hated him. He's my son, just like you are Gabriel. Even if Mom died delivering _you,_ I wouldn't have loved you any less. You're still my baby boy, and so is Marion." William told the young boy with a gentle smile. "I love him, and I love you too, my son."

He nearly went on, wanting to ask why he still spoiled Elizabeth, wanting to argue on how the child was at fault... but his father looked distraught as it was so he just went silent, staring at Marion as he covered his eyes. "Pee-boe!"

* * *

Despite the talk Gabriel had with his father, it didn't change the feelings he had towards his little brother.

As Gabriel grew, so did the little boy. Soon, the infant was growing to be a toddler, and through those stages, Gabriel detested the fact that the boy was an endearing child. The two grew side by side without too much incident: rather, not more of an incident than you might get with a naughty child.

As the child grew, so did his fear.

As a baby, he never seemed to mind the animatronics too much. Once he grew older, he seemed to recognize that they weren't actually people or cartoons and he began to cry.

The screams would fill the restaurant, and they were _annoying_. Marion would rush to his older brothers, clinging to their pant legs. "Boys, I'm busy, you take care of it," their father would tell them. But Gabriel didn't want to do so, especially when his friends would start hanging around the restaurant.  
"I'm in the _fifth grade_ now, Dad. I can't be seen pampering my little brother." He would try to argue, but William would easily retort. "I'm a grown man, yet I'm still seen pampering my children," much to his younger son's dismay.

Once particular time, Gabe was hanging out with his friends, chatting and eating a pizza Scott had brought out to the group. "Make sure your brother eats too, Gabriel." He told the younger softly, trying not to be an embarrassment to the kid.

Soon enough, Marion came running at the table, tears running down his face as he clung to his brother, reaching out in an attempt to hold his hand: Gabriel retracted his hand. One of his friends, Chris, made a slight noise of disgust, while another, Darrel, decided to say something directly to Gabe's little brother.  
"You're a crybaby, did you know that?" He taunted at the fearful child, which only made the young boy cry more. The group began laughing, and Gabriel forced out laughter too. He didn't know if he should go so far as to _bully_ his younger brother... but he went along with the group.

"But Gabe.. Gabe, they are so _big_ and they smile weird at me. I don't like it." His older brother only laughed at him again before answering him. "Do you think I care?" Marion naively nodded, causing the table to erupt with laughter. Now it was Tony who spoke up. "You baby, he doesn't give an ounce of a shit."

With that, Marion pushed himself away from his brother and went running off, presumably to find Michael. "I pity you for having to live with that kid, Gabe." Darrel said, sympathizing. "My only brother is already moved out and in college. The _nerd_." Tony interrupted, laughing as he imitated- Gabriel hardly considered such a word as the dramatic exaggerated with heavily pushed into the act- the young boy's sobs and this time, he didn't join in with the laughter of the other three.

Perhaps spawned by their friend zoning out, Darrel spoke up again. "Oh, here he comes again, probably showered in love by Mr. Daddy NiceGuy." Laughter seemed to always crop up, aimed at Marion. This only grew more apparent when he walked up, still sniffling and wiping his eyes, and a cookie was held in his small grip.

Once he got close enough, he held the cookie out towards his older brother, forcing a slight smile. "Can I sit with you guys, please?" Laughter once again filled the young one's ears.

Gabriel couldn't help the embarrassment and knocked the cookie to the ground. "I'm too old for _cookies,_" he practically snarled, earning a wide-eyed look from the boy.

"Go hide under a table again, you crybaby." Darrel now taunted, ushering the boy away with his hand from across the table. His gaze left his older brother and was led to Darrel, who only gave him a dirty look. "You aren't worth our time. I am big, and you are little. We don't hang out with little _crybabies."_

Tears were welling in his eyes again, threatening to spill as Chris now took the reins. "Hah, you really thought that we could get along, didn't you kid. You little-" The older boy knew he was going too far, as Gabriel's face showed his concern through the smug look in his eye. "Get outta my face, kid." He ended, and Marion huffed before climbing up to the table, snatching a piece of their pizza, then went off again.

After Marion was away, a girl- younger than Gabriel but older than Marion- hesitantly spoke up. "That was mean. He was just scared." Tony turned around to face the girl and got down in her face. "Mind your own business, kid. You don't know him like we do."

She shrugged and lifted up her bear a little more. "Doesn't give you the right. Nobody deserves it." Before she too went off, presumably to her own party.

"Guys... you don't think we were a little too harsh, do you?" Gabriel voiced softly, hating to even bring this line of thought to their attention. "Ah Gabe, you goin' soft on us? This will teach him to toughen up. Hey, just lock him in a room for a few hours with nothing but himself and a few dolls, and I'm sure he'll be straightened out in no time."

"Consider it... a time out for being a little crybaby. He's being a whiny bitch, and if we don't teach him too shut up then no one will. As his older brother, it's your responsibility."

That eased Gabriel's concern down, and he gave a slight nod. They were right: if he didn't teach his little brother to toughen up, then no one will.

* * *

Gabriel only now considered it lucky that Marion used to have a problem with locking doors as a toddler; William had gotten frustrated and reversed the boy's door handle, so the door could be locked from the outside rather than the inside. It made his plans of tormenting his brother come to fruition a lot quicker.

No, not tormenting, he would tell himself. No, it was _helping._ He was _teaching_ his brother, he most certainly wasn't torturing him, not at all taunting him over his whining and cries that came with childhood fears.

The first time he'd locked him in the room, it had been rough.

He glanced in through his door, frowning as he watched the young boy on his belly in his room, facing away from the door as he played with his dolls, plush doll in each hand and a few more set up around him. He laughed darkly at the sight before reluctantly shutting- nearly slamming- the door, sure the young boy would whip around at that alone. He then turned the lock on the door and sat on the carpet outside of the door.

He could hear the exact moment the doorknob tried to turn, when slight annoyance turned to panic and fear. "Gabe?!" Marion tried, trying to pull at the doorknob. "Gabe, are you there? Please let me out." His heart nearly broke, but he had to stay strong. He couldn't turn back from his decision now. Marion needed to know who was boss.

Inside the room, panic swelled inside of the young boy's throat as he hit his palm against the wood of the door, blinking back his tears as he continued his pleas. "Please.. Gabe, I'm scared. Just open the door. I need to pee." He shifted uncomfortably before pulling his bear to his chest with one arm, sinking down the door.

He glanced around uneasily. He could climb out the window, but that too had a safety latch on it from the outside, and he broke down to tears. "Please?"

Gabriel sat himself outside of the door, ignoring his cries. Marion seemed to eventually believe that Gabriel had walked away as he went silent, occasionally hitting against the door or trying the doorknob. Gabriel's heart broke as he felt a single tear slip down his face, hastily wiping it. He didn't know how long he sat there, hearing the pleading of his little brother as he wept.

He certainly was a crybaby, and this only proved it further.

"Gabe, _please!_ I'm _scared_." He tried again, hitting his hand against the door. "Please!" He heard footsteps coming down from another room and he perked up. "Gabe?!" He hopefully asked out. "Please, can you let me out?"

Michael had come down the hallway, hearing the soft pleas from behind the door and Gabe sitting in front of the door, cross-legged. "Gabe... what did you do?" Michael asked lowly, already knowing what he had done but choosing to gain an answer first.

"He- he was being a whiny bitch at the pizzeria and embarrassed me in front of my friends! He needs to learn." Michael knelt down next to his younger brother, sighing. "Gabriel.. I know that. But he's young, and this certainly isn't the way to teach him. If anything, it will only instill fear into your younger brother... fear that will exemplify his already clingy behaviour. Look at it this way. Marion clings to you because he thinks you're a cool older brother, and he wants to hang out with you. He wants to _be_ like you. I can understand if you don't want him around... but this isn't the way to go about it.

"Ultimately though, it is your decision. I can only hope that you'll open that door for him." Michael departed after sharing his words- rather wise words for a twelve year old, Gabriel couldn't help but think- as he looked back to the door.

The wood was finely sanded with a slight bit of a grainy texture to it, but didn't have the varnish that their front door was painted in. "_Look at me, obsessing over the texture of a door." _Gabe nearly rolled his eyes at himself before getting up to his feet and beginning to pace, the words getting into his head. Michael was right; the boy really didn't deserve such treatment.

With his own sigh, he unlocked the door with a light click, one that was easily heard by the boy on the other side, who hopped up and quickly opened the door. There was no doubt that he hadn't heard Michael's words, but he said nothing about them.

In fact, he said nothing at all to Gabriel as he held to his chest his Fredbear plush, as well as a generic Foxy plush, to his chest and briskly walked past his brother. His face was stained with tears and his eyes were narrowed towards his brother. The small boy was giving his brother the cold shoulder.  
Gabriel couldn't say that he didn't deserve it.

* * *

Despite his brother's recent bullying, Marion still felt that strong desire to be with his older brother, clinging to him when he was scared.

But the locked doors continued, despite where they might be. Pizzeria or home, or even in public: Gabriel didn't seem to care, just as long as Marion was out of the way of his group of friends and keeping his embarrassing, childish ways off of the older.

Michael would give him looks, occasionally catch the room he was in and sublty unlock the door or ask an employee to go grab something: but he wanted Gabriel to be the one to fix his own mistakes, rather than his own older brother coming along and fixing the mistakes.

Marion's only solace away from the torment was when Elizabeth was at home and willing to play. She was controlling over her toys, but still willing to share and enjoyed having the brotherly playmate. The two could often he found with Elizabeth suddenly deciding that she wanted the doll that she let Marion use and forcibly yanking it's hair to pull it from his grasp, but the younger only smiled and grabbed another toy to play with. Just as long as he had his sister, he felt he would be fine.

...

But things were not fine.

Lizzie disappeared one day without a trace. Gabriel's memories around that time felt sluggish and foggy. She was there, then she was gone. Something fishy had seemed to be going on, but it wasn't to do with the events surrounding the time of her disappearance.

Marion was a mere six now, and clingier than ever. His playmate was gone, so he was alone. His crying became more frequent but he silenced it better. Shunned by his brother, he found refuge under tables to hide from the monsters with crooked smiles and sharp claws.

"At least he's learned." Chris laughed at the boy, looking towards Tony to say something, but Gabe spoke up now. "That little bugger is hardly even annoying at home anymore. If he is, he gets locked in the room again."

This was said so heartlessly that Darrel physically widened his eyes and slightly leaned away, but Tony and Chris just laughed. Marion, hidden under a nearby table, heard this and frowned to himself. He wiped his eyes hastily with tiny hands, recognizing that cruel tone of voice. Where had his brother gone?

William seemed aware of this bullying and would punish Gabriel. Oh boy, was he punished well and hard by his father. But Lizzie was gone now and couldn't tattle, she wasn't here to mess things up to have Gabe be blamed for her wrongdoings.

The three boys continued to grow under their father's care, but Marion's babyish habits never seemed to change. He would run off and hide, curling up under a table to let his eyes leak once again. He was used to the sensation of the salty tears running down his face, he realized, and he hated it. He hated feeling like such a little _crybaby_.

Eventually, Michael left home as well, leaving the youngest boy to Gabriel's wrath. If anything, Michael's departure only fueled this bullying. Gabriel forced back his own tears- he wouldn't remember the hurt that this boy brought.

His friends kept his mind from that scar, helping him to ignore the pain that his birth had caused. He could remember the blood in the sheets as if it had just occurred, and shuddered at the thought, shaking his head and tuning himself back in on the conversation.

Tony was making fun of some little kid, causing his face to screw up. Gabriel watched as Darrel stepped forward. "Don't be such a wimp." He warned before he snatched the tickets from the boy's hand. "Thanks for the chocolate, kid."

The three of them made their way to the prize corner to use the tickets as the boy went to tattle on the boys, leaving with their caramel candies back to their tables, leaving no trace but the wrappers they tossed aside. Gabriel reluctantly followed them- he didn't agree with bullying just any kid. He only agreed with bullying his brother.

But... if the boy wasn't his brother, he would just be 'any kid,' a voice argued in the back of his mind. He shunned it before it got too loud.

He didn't need to hear anything to know what he was doing was wrong.

The tear struck boy came back over to the group, face scrunched in a glare. "My momma wants your momma to go talk to her." He said softly, a strong accent in his voice. Gabriel used his own accent to reply. "My mum is dead, kiddo."

He went silent before looking over towards Tony, who just laughed and looked away from the kid.

The boy went to leave as quickly as he came, and Gabriel frowned before pocketing a candy and standing, tapping his shoulder and handing him the candy. Silently, he mouthed an apology.

The boy gave a soft smile and nodded before leaving.

"I've got to go to the bathroom." He excused himself for standing. Nobody had seen his deed, and he preferred that it stayed that way.

He might have had a heart, but that wasn't something that anybody needed to know.

* * *

No matter what Marion would do, Gabriel never seemed pleased. He could fly to the moon and back, but Gabriel would still find some way to criticize him.

Things were certainly worse when his friends were hanging around, Marion knew. He recognized the pattern: after years of torment, how could he not?

He was back at the pizzeria, looking around. Waiting. Expectant. Was nobody going to show up? He kicked at the floor after looking to the clock with a frown: he should've listened to Gabriel, he should've known better than to have that childish hope.

Why would anyone hang around the _crybaby?_

"Awh, is the little boy alone on his birthday?" Darrel's voice broke in with that obnoxious laughter of his friends chiming behind him. He wiped at his eyes- they didn't need to see his tears. But at this point, Chris had already caught on and gave a mock sigh of sympathy. "Oh, the little brat is _disappointed _that nobody showed up! Awh, we need to get him a present!"

"Leave me alone, guys..." Marion tried to stand up for himself, but Darrel pushed him down as Tony now came up to the boy- now on his backside- with a sneer. Marion looked to his brother as Tony spoke. "Maybe we should take him over to the Prize Corner then! We all know how _much he loves it over there._"

"No!" Marion squeaked out, but they only laughed again. He'd seen Fredbear being stationed in that room this morning, and the tears came back. "Please, no! Anything but that, _please_ anything but that!" He began begging, but the boys only laughed mockingly as they began to heave him up, all working together despite his light weight. Marion flailed his tiny limbs in protest, but the teenagers handled it well.

"Hahah, I'll bet you want to give Fredbear _a big kiss."_ When his brother spoke, their laughter went silent as they grinned with wide smiles as a new idea formed, and Marion became erratic. "No, _no! Keep me away from that bear!" _He shrieked, earning the boys a few glares, but the regulars knew not to interfere with the _brotherly teasing._ Despite the torment, onlookers seemed to think their intentions were innocent.

By all means of what occurred next, their intentions were _entirely_ innocent.

Scott was aroused from his slum of cleaning the table by the screams of a child, and he quickly shot up, following the sounds to the teenage boys toting a ballistic Marion towards the Prize Corner.  
"Woah, woah Gabe! Y-you need to put him down!" Damn his stammer! The boys only laughed at his fruitless attempt to hinder their bullying and stopped in front of the golden bear. "Marion, you ready to face your fears?" Chris asked tauntingly, and Scott looked around, hoping to be able to catch William in time to stop this traumatic experience from going any further. Parents merely glanced over the torment, and a few kids had taken to surrounding the group, laughing.

Time seemed to slow down as Gabriel said the final words. "Fredbear wants to give you a _big kiss!"_ The boys forcefully shoved the smaller boy's head into the open mouth of the animatronic as tears fell down his cheek, dripping into the robot. His screams echoed down the springlock suit as the mocking laughter was muffled by the furry walls. His nails dug into the arms of the boys as he suffered, his voice only going louder as his tears dripped steadily into the robot.

Nobody could ever be sure of the reason Fredbear malfunctioned that day, but everyone present would never forget that sickening sound of the gears squeaking, followed by the deathly silence as they heard the teeth sinking into the skull, crunching through the bone as if it were paper.

Marion's screams halted suddenly as he found himself choking on a mixture of his own blood and tears, unsure if he were dead but if he were dead _he wouldn't be feeling this immense pain._ He'd never felt anything so painful, and black was edging in his vision.

_Protect him._

Those words came back to Gabriel as he pushed his friends aside and yanked his brother free from the bear trap, screaming to onlookers to call the hospital as he held his little brother close and put his hands over his skull, as if he could help stop the blood from flowing,

_Protect him._

He became the crybaby as his own tears flowed heavily, easily dripping onto his brother as he pleading with his brother's spirit, bartering for him life.

_Protect him._

"Please, _please!_ I didn't mean to! No, _Marion_, don't die, _please!_ I'm sorry, I'm so, _so sorry!_ I'll never be mean to you again, I promise! Please, just wake up. Open your eyes. Look at me- Marion, _please!"_

_Protect him._

Scott was kneeling next to Gabriel now, hands holding a tablecloth and quickly pressing it against his forehead, unable to keep pressure around his entire head.

_Protect him._

Blood easily seeped past Scott's hands, which led Gabe to look to his own hands and noticed how much of his little brother's blood was on him.

_Protect him._

It was his fault.

_Protect him._

He should've stopped it.

_Protect him._

He wished he could step into a time machine and take back the years of torment. His heart was suddenly filled with the love his father had spoken of for this little boy, whose face was a sheer white and sweat, tears, and blood caked in his hair.

_Protect him._

How bad would it have been to have been embarrassed in front of his friends? Were his friends truly worth more than this little boy, whose head was heavy in his lap, breathing hardly there but pulse in his neck heavy: body trying to keep up with the blood he was losing.

_Protect him._

William was now there, kneeling next to Scott and using the rest of the tablecloth to apply pressure to other heavily bleeding areas of the skull, his own eyes shining but he never panicked. Gabriel never gave his father the credit he deserved for his calmness in these situations.

_Protect him._

Oh, what he wouldn't give to just be able to apologize. To give his little brother a tight squeeze, a soft kiss on the head. What he wouldn't give to hear his voice, his laughter, one last time. What he wouldn't give to be able to comfort him from his fears, rather than shame him for being a mere child.

_Protect him._

Paramedics surrounded the group and pulled Marion from his grasp, quickly loading the boy on a stretcher. Gabriel went to follow the group, but a firm hand pushed against his shoulder. A bloody hand went up to his own face, his own hand, to feel the tears still coming. He himself had become the crybaby.

_Protect him._

Sirens filled his ears as his brother was whisked away in the ambulance, and he was guided by his father and shoved into the car. Scott was left behind to clear the place, to reassure everything would be all right.

He wouldn't be convincing.

_Protect him._

The car ride was filled with tension, silence and only hard breathing could be heard from his father as he worked through his own emotions. He felt shame, hurt, fear... most of all. He felt _guilt._

_Protect him._

Not only guilt of the accident, but of what led up to the accident. The torment and bullying and hatred towards this little boy who did nothing, nothing but the misfortune of losing his mother before he even opened his eyes. This entire time he only blamed the boy... but did he ever deserve it?

_Protect him._

The two simple words bounced around his head as he stemmed his tears, wiping his bloody hands onto his jeans, which too were splattered with chunks and blood.

_**Protect him.**_

Gabriel ignored the stinging of his arm. The boy's nails had dug into the flesh as if butter in his fear, but instead of anger and resentment he would've held, he only felt more shame. _He_ had caused those feelings of fear in the boy. _He_ was the one who did this.

_He_ was the one who had hurt his brother.

_He _was the one who had possibly just killed his brother.

_**Protect him.**_

He made a promise to himself then. If- _when_ Marion recovered, he would be the best brother he could ever be to the little boy. He would comfort him as he sobbed, and let him hang out with him and his friends, he would never shame or bully him.

He would be the brother that his mother had wanted him to be all along.

_**Protect him.**_

The short drive to the hospital seemed too long, and as soon as the car pulled into the hospital parking lot, he hopped out of the moving car and dashed to the emergency door rooms, ignoring the drivers as they flipped him off and honked their horns. He burst through the doors and pushed to the front of the receptionist desk.

He ignored the weird stares from the way he made his entrance- the blood didn't help- as he nearly gasped out to the lady behind the desk. "Marion Afton- is he alright?!"

_**Protect him**_**.**

"I'm sorry, I can't give that information to you bud." She told him, dismissing him completely.

_**Protect him.**_

"He's my little brother, I have a right to know if he's right and damnit, you're going to tell me!" He pushed, but she only shook his head before his father came jogging up behind him. "My son, Marion Afton, was admitted in for some sort of head trauma only minutes ago... room number?" He quickly laid out, pulling out his I.D. as she quickly searched into the computer and looked up.

"He's been transferred to the ICU, Medical Room 3. He's in critical condition and is waiting for blood."

_**Protect him.**_

"He can have mine!" Gabriel piped up quickly. "I remember we have the same blood type!"

She nodded and pointed towards a door. "Go into the blood lab and talk to them about it. He's an O+." Gabriel nodded: he knew he was an O-. He remembered when he learned that: his mom had taken him and Michael to get their blood tested and they learned that they both were 'universal donors', which made him feel special.

His mother always made him feel special.

_**Protect him.**_

Next thing he knew, he was sitting in a chair with a needle stuck into his arm. He looked away, telling himself he wasn't allowed to feel pain: this was for his brother, who felt _so much_ pain, and all because of him.

He watched the blood. No longer was it his: now it was Marion's. This blood served as an apology.

An apology he never should have been put into the decision of giving.

_**Protect him.**_

A nurse told him that the blood was being put into his brother's body as he sipped orange juice. She explained that they hoped he could give more to keep in store for him: no match could be better than his brother's, and the boy could better deal with his brother's blood in him than some stranger's.

Gabriel agreed.

_**Protect him.**_

This time, his father sat next to him, also giving up some of his blood for his brother. This round, he felt dizzy afterwards, but they handed him another juice box and he easily drank it up, feeling his head become less cloudy and the pounding against his head lessened.

He went back, but they cut him off from donating any more blood: being dizzy wasn't a good sign.

_**Protect him.**_

They sat in the room outside of the blood lab as Gabriel sipped at another box of juice, swinging his feet towards the ground. His voice was nearly nonexistent in the silence. "I'm sorry, Dad." He looked up to his father, who put an arm around his shoulder.

"I remember, years ago, when we had a talk about hatred. You never learned from that, did you?" He knew the answer before he received the shake of his head.

"I have now though, I promise! Dad, I will be the best brother to him from now on, I'll never be mean, he can always hang out with me and my friends- Dad, don't let him die. Please." The way the tears came, one wouldn't expect this to be a teenage boy talking.

_**Protect him.**_

"Oh, Gabriel..." William didn't even know what to say. "You've gone through so much pain already. But Marion's been through so much more... I need you to remember that.. though I'm guessing you'll never truly forget that again."

**Protect him.**

A door opened, and a doctor led them through the twisting hallways. "He's stable, for now. He's at risk, we'll need an eye on him at all times." He opened a door and he saw the state his little brother was in. Bandages were wrapped around his face tightly, bulking his head up, but he couldn't help noticing the dried blood on the outside of the bandages.

The heart monitor was steadily beeping as the young teenager slowly approached his unconscious little brother, his entire body shaking as he noticed all of the wires connected to his body.

It was _all his fault._

**Protect him.**

Tears pricked at his eyes, but blinking relieved that urge as the nurse guided him to sit in a chair, pulled up next to the bed. He reached out to grasp his brother's hand, but noticed the IV and oxygen meter clipped to his hand and retracted at the last second.

"You can hold his hand." She gestured to the opposite hand, and he delicately placed that hand into his own, recalling all the times when the boy wanted nothing more than this simple, mere touch from his brother, whether comfort or crossing the street, walking together to school or simply watching a movie.

_**Protect him!**_

* * *

A coma.

That was what his brother was in. A coma.

Over the next few days, his brother's condition dropped from stable to critical, and the hospital seemed to be understaffed as they hardly managed it well. Or instead of understaffed, they were overbooked, as once his condition seemed to flatline in a state where he was stable, but not to the point they could repair damage, they moved the young boy home.

The nurses had explained that it might help bring him out of the coma, being in his familiar surroundings, and urged them to spend plenty of time with the boy.

In and out, people went. Gabriel sat in Elizabeth's room- his father seemed hopeful she might turn up as her room stayed kept together- where Marion's excess items had been hastily thrown in. He searched the large pile of plush dolls and found the yellowed bear, gently holding it and peeking out of the room to find that things were still being moved, now all the machinery that would keep his brother alive.

He looked through the bookshelf that had once been in his brother's room, but was now tipped against Elizabeth's bed. He thumbed through the books, finding ones that seemed like Marion might enjoy. Talk to him, they said. It will help him, they said.

As he tried to find books, he came to the sad realization that he hardly knew his brother at all.

In the end, he grabbed quite basic books that all kids his age might know, along with a book that had a chubby-faced grey cat on the cover and seemed like a book he could enjoy, quite possibly.

He didn't know how long he was in the room. He'd eventually moved to sitting cross-legged on the floor, lining up the plush dolls and looking through the entire collection. He arranged the books in alphabetical order, then again by size.

A soft knock on the door alerted him that company was gone.

He came from the room into Marion's, quickly and eagerly pushing the Fredbear doll into the young boy's grasp. He didn't consider that he was bitten by the animatronic representation-

The one thing he knew for certain was that this was his favourite plush.

A nursemaid was seated in the corner, another bookshelf having been converted into a medical cabinet. Bandages, IV bags, blood bags, syringes, and other random items were neatly arranged on each shelf.

His brother was in his own bed, but now with multiple machine hooked up to him and an IV bag steadily dripping into him.

He sat in the chair next to his brother's bed. "Uh.. hey Marion." He looked towards his brother, as if expecting a reaction. "I need to apologize..."

He knew he would sound sappy, and especially in front of the nursemaid who was assigned to his brother, but he frankly didn't care for the moment and only focused on his words. "I haven't been a good brother, but you already know that.. Heh." He scratched his neck awkwardly. "I've pushed you away and shamed you for being a kid. I've bullied, tormented, harassed, _abused_ you, all because of an issue I couldn't be mature enough to deal with. I blamed you without having any fault, which is unfair to both you and myself. I've had enough with the hate- I won't let it get in the way of our relationship anymore.

"You're my little brother, though I've never treated you as such. When my friends decided it was fun to call you a crybaby, I should've shut them up instead of agreeing with them and egging it all on. I've given you a shitty childhood, which has only gotten worse...

"I'm an asshole, and I will own up to that. I will scream it from the rooftops, tattoo it across my forehead, just to get you to forgive me because you are _worth it,_ Marion. You're blood." Not a good choice in words.

"...You're my little brother, and I definitely haven't shown that. But Marion, I promise that _when_ you get better, I will love you and comfort you and I'll hold your hand all you'd like. Please. I just want my little brother back."

He hated how familiar tears had become, his hand slipping into his brother's once again.

He let the silence rest for a while.

Before picking up and reading aloud a book about Moppet the grey kitty cat.

* * *

There was about an hour between shifts of the nursemaids, Gabriel soon learned. One nursemaid would leave at five o'clock every evening, and another would show up around six. Again, one nurse would leave about five in the morning, but the other would come in at dawn.

Gabriel had learned the pattern well, but so had William. William, who stood back and watched his family slowly disintegrate away. William, who seemed to be too calm in such a position.

William, who had a plan.

Gabriel spent nearly all of his time in that chair next to the bed, going as far as even peeing his own pants to finish reading a story to his brother. Once he would finish, however, he would go off and shower, cleaning off the chair with lemon-scented wipes and taking his seat once again.

He'd timed it perfectly. Gabriel had called him into the room so he could go and shower- the nursemaid had left minutes before, and the teenager never allowed his brother to be left alone- so he was in the room with only himself and his young son.

He gently brushed his hand across his cheek. This one would be the hardest by far. He loved his son, so very much... but this was too much of a hassle. The longer his son was alive, the more time would be focusing all the news resources on him, shining the restaurant with a bad light. Not to mention the cost of mostly ineffective treatment.

He laid a soft kiss against his forehead. "I love you, Marion." He whispered gently, before he hooked his foot around the wires and tugged his foot forward, towards the bed.

Nobody would understand how much noise simple humming machines could make until the room fell into a deathly silence.

The young boy then began writhing in pain, choking and blood bubbled past his lips. Soft gasps were emitted, hands clutched at the sheets in a final attempt to cling to his life. A name was uttered under his breath- too faint for William to hear, but he was certain of what he'd gasped by the movement of his lips.

Then the boy too fell silent.

It all felt way too easy.

He went back on his knees and plugged back in the machines, the heart monitor emitting a long _beeeeep_ as it had when his wife had left, to bring this young boy into fruition.

No matter how low his standards may be, he would never admit out loud- hell, not even to himself- the satisfaction he had felt: as if he was finally getting vengeance after all these years for his wife's passing.

The monitor's volume seemed to grow and he heard running footsteps down the hall. Gabriel- hair damp and crazed, shirtless and in shorts- popped in, breathing heavily. "Marion?! Dad, is Marion?!"

William only stared at his lifeless son, easily playing the role of the shocked dad. He didn't even have to say anything for his role to be accepted, so easily did he accept it. "This is all because of the hour. They killed my brother!" He angrily screamed, before going silent. "...I killed my brother."

He then turned to his father. "Bring him back! To CPR! Mouth to mouth! Something! Please, I can't lose him... not him too... daddy, please!" He began to beg, his hand pressed against his chest. Anger and shock flowed through every inch of the young boy's body, but William didn't move a muscle, only staring at his dead son.

After moments of the two being still and silent, Gabriel hurled himself over the bed and attempted some variation of CPR, knowing it was a fruitless attempt but still going for it. This was his brother, and damnit he wasn't going to sit there and accept his death too! He wasn't going to accept it, not again.

He pressed his lips to the younger's, blowing air into his mouth. He was aware that what he was doing wasn't entirely correct, but hoped it was better than doing nothing.

This was how the nursemaid found the Afton boys- father silently staring at his son, who was practically making out with the corpse of his dead brother, heaving his body weight against his chest to attempt to revive him. She gently coaxed him off from the body.

He turned into her shoulder and began sobbing, but she handed him off to his father to get her own access to Marion, checking his pulse and temperature before declaring him dead. Gabriel gave an audible noise of stress and only sobbed harder, while William physically was silent and stoic but mentally was almost... proud of himself.

When Scott heard the news, he broke down. He felt his own guilt: he'd seen what was occuring, but he hadn't been able to stop it. He was _right there,_ yet he hadn't done anything but stammer away as if he were below a group of teenagers.

To be fair, Gabriel was William's son. Things between William and Scott were... He didn't know how to put it into words. To say the least, they were together- in more ways than one- and he had a feeling that Gabe knew the full extent of their relationship.

He didn't want to have the boy view him as chiding, or taking a fatherly role as Scott had done with Marion. Marion had wanted that: but Gabriel was older, and less likely to want him in any sort of position of a parent.

He remembered William's laughter as he joked with Scott in a teasing way. "You could be the mother he never had!"

He now felt as though a mother who had her child viciously ripped from his hands.

One of his cats- a grey one with scraggly fur as though it had been sheared by a blind man- stalked along the couch before settling between the couch and the man's back, as the man was hunched over in his seat.

He brought the female cat into his lap, petting over her head as she purred. The papers said she'd been in a house fire, singeing the skin. Fur had never grown back over, which made her look quite ragged, but Scott still loved her.

She also made quite beautiful kittens.

He glanced around his house, slowly realizing that Marion wouldn't step foot in this house ever again.

Those stemmed tears came flowing yet again.

* * *

Gabriel felt a familiar anger, but for once it wasn't aimed towards his brother.

The anger was towards himself.

No punishment could be enough to punish himself. He could blame his friends, but he was a part of it just as much as they had been.

An amount of time had passed, yet the anger he felt never resided. He took it out with doing juvenile things: throwing toilet paper on neighbouring houses, egging the principal's car, spraypainting the side of the school...

Yet nothing was enough.

"You don't have to do this, Gabe." He looked up to see the Bonnie-faced boy looking towards him. Darrel was behind the mask, and as the one who resembled Freddy- Chris- was looking around the doors, Darrel looked at him with what seemed to be sympathy.

"Are we ready?" Tony seemed to be hyped. He was always one for the sneaky business, and went to all extremes- it was his idea for the masks, so it made sense that Tony would be stuck with the Chica one.

"Let's do this." Gabriel led them in, unknowingly into a death trap.

The only thing the boy would agree upon is that whatever happened next, to whoever it happened to, was certainly deserved.


End file.
